Hockey in Providence

By Jim Mancuso

Providence has an old and rich hockey tradition. The Providence Reds were one of the first professional hockey teams in the United States. In their 51-year history (1926 1977), the Reds won seven playoff championships, including four Calder Cup titles. The Reds were the first minor-league hockey team to operate for 50 seasons. The Providence Bruins, established in the 1992 1993 season, carry on the city s great hockey legacy and gave Providence its fifth Calder Cup title. Several Hockey Hall of Famers have played for Providence-based teams, including Bobby Bauer, Hector Toe Blake, Johnny Bower, Frank Brimsek, Eddie Giacomin, Rod Langway, Milt Schmidt, and Lorne Gump Worsley.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 27, 2006
• ISBN: 9781439617960

Jim Mancuso

Jim Mancuso, a member of the Society for International Hockey Research, has also authored and coauthored several other books on minor-league hockey, including Hockey in Syracuse.

Book preview

1980s.

INTRODUCTION

Providence iced its first professional hockey team over 80 years ago. The tradition started in 1926–1927 when the Providence Reds were inaugural members of the Canadian American Hockey League (CAHL). The CAHL was organized in Boston on August 17, 1926, and was affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL). The Reds were a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens during all 10 seasons of the CAHL from 1926–1927 to 1935–1936. Hector Toe Blake, Emile Butch Bouchard, Johnny Gagnon, Leo Gaudreault, Art Giroux, Wilfred Gizzy Hart, Wildor Larochelle, Art Lesieur, Armand Mondou, Leo Murray, and Gus Rivers were among the players assigned to Providence by the Canadiens (NHL). The Reds share the CAHL all-time record for winning the most Fontaine Cup playoff championships with three (1929–1930, 1931–1932, and 1933–1934).

In 1936–1937, Providence helped form the American Hockey League (known as the International-American Hockey League from 1936 to 1940). The locals won two Calder Cups, 1937–1938 and 1939–1940, during the new league’s first four seasons. Both championships were won under coach Fred Bun Cook. The Reds formed a working agreement with the Boston Bruins from 1936–1937 to 1938–1939. Bobby Bauer, Frank Brimsek, Jack Crawford, Woody Dumart, Robert Red Hamill, Mel Hill, Jim Peggy O’Neil, Milt Schmidt, and Jack Shewchuck were assigned to Providence by Boston. From 1938–1939 to 1940–1941, the Reds had ties to the Chicago Black Hawks, and Max Bentley, Mike Karakas, John Mariucci, and Bill Mosienko skated for Providence by way of Chicago. Providence was also affiliated with the Maple Leafs (NHL) in 1940–1941.

From 1941–1942 to 1945–1946, the Reds acquired players from several NHL teams, with a majority of NHL surplus coming from Toronto in 1942–1943, Chicago in 1943–1944 and 1944–1945, and the Rangers in 1945–1946. Providence did not have an NHL affiliation from 1946–1947 to 1954–1955. In 1948–1949, however, the locals won their third Calder Cup title under player/coach Terry Reardon. Carl Liscombe, who became the first player in American Hockey League (AHL) history to break the 100-point plateau a year before, set the Reds’ all-time single-season goal record with 55 tallies in 1948–1949. Harvey Bennett led the team between the pipes with a league leading 43 wins and a 3.16 goals against average (GAA) in 1948–1949.

In 1955–1956, the Reds captured their fourth Calder Cup as they began a three-year affiliation with the New York Rangers. Zellio Toppazzini captured the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s leading scoring, and Johnny Bower received the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s regular season MVP that banner season.

For the next seven seasons, from 1958–1959 to 1964–1965, the Reds established an affiliation with the Boston Bruins. The locals captured a division title in 1962–1963 but did not win a playoff round during this Bruin era.

Providence was independent of an NHL affiliation from 1965–1966 to 1968–1969. The NHL’s Seals were the Reds’ parent team in 1969–1970 and 1970–1971. The locals made their first Calder Cup finals appearance in 15 seasons in 1970–1971 and also captured their first division title in eight years under coach Larry Wilson.

The New York Rangers became Providence’s parent team for the next five seasons from 1971–1972 to 1975–1976 (having a split affiliation with the St. Louis Blues in 1975–1976). Ron Greschner, Dave Maloney, and Rick Middleton arrived in town courtesy of the Rangers (NHL). The Reds made the playoffs in each of those seasons, reaching the Calder Cup finals in 1973–1974 and securing their 10th AHL first-place finish in 1974–1975 by capturing their division. Coach John Muckler won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s coach of the year in 1974–1975 as he led the Reds to their sixth AHL regular season title.

In 1976–1977, the locals became officially known as the Rhode Island Reds. The Colorado Rockies (NHL) and New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) shared an affiliation with Rhode Island. The Reds suffered one of their worst seasons in team history and missed the postseason for the first time in seven years. It would also be the last season of the 51-year-old Reds franchise, as the club was sold and moved to Binghamton, New York.

Professional hockey returned to Providence in 1992–1993 with the birth of the Providence Bruins. The P-Bruins, as they were fittingly nicknamed, carry on the city’s great hockey legacy. In 1998–1999, the team captured the Calder Cup and the AHL regular season title. In their history, the Bruins (AHL) have also won three division titles and made the postseason in 12 of their 14 campaigns. Players assigned to Providence by Boston (NHL) included Rod Langway (two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman in 1982–1983 and 1983–1984), Jim Carey (the Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goaltender in 1995–1996), Andrew Raycroft (the Calder Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2003–2004), and Boston’s number one draft picks Glen Murray (1991 NHL Entry Draft) and Hannu Toivonen (2002 NHL Entry Draft).

Several P-Bruins have won AHL awards, including Randy Robitaille (the AHL’s regular season MVP in 1998–1999), Peter Ferraro (the Jack Butterfield Trophy winner as the AHL’s playoff MVP in 1998–1999), Peter Laviolette (the AHL’s coach of the year in 1998–1999), and Jeff Serowik (the Eddie Shore Award winner as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman in 1994–1995). The P-Bruins also iced several AHL All-Stars and members of the AHL’s all-rookie team. In 1994–1995, Providence hosted the first AHL All-Star game in 35 seasons.

The Providence Bruins have provided area fans with a high caliber of hockey and have established themselves as one of the top sporting attractions in Providence as well as the state of Rhode Island. Providence truly has one of the richest traditions in hockey history.

1

THE CANADIAN AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

Professional hockey was born in Providence when the Providence Reds became inaugural members of the Canadian American Hockey League (CAHL) in 1926–1927. Judge James E. Dooley owned the club, and Jean Dubuc was the team’s general manager. The club played at the Rhode Island Auditorium. Jimmy Gardner was named coach, and the Reds became a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens (NHL). In its 10-year history, the CAHL had a single-division format. Providence finished in last place out of five in 1926–1927 with a 12-17-3 record. Wilfred Desy led the club in goals (10) and points (11) that first season while tying for seventh in goals and tying for eighth in points in CAHL scoring.

In 1927–1928, the Reds finished fifth out of six with a 13-19-8 record and failed to make the postseason again. Johnny Gagnon placed second in goals (20) and tied for third in points (24) in the CAHL, while Armand Mondou placed seventh in league scoring with 21 points.

Providence qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 1928–1929, placing second out of six teams and